Beating The Winter Cold
by badly-knitted
Summary: It's a bitterly cold winter's day and Drake is just about frozen solid. A bit of fluff. set not long before Like Like Love. Written for fic promptly.


**Title:** Beating The Winter Cold

 **Author:** badly-knitted

 **Characters:** Drake, JJ

 **Rating:** G

 **Setting:** Not long before Like Like Love.

 **Summary:** It's a bitterly cold winter's day and Drake is just about frozen solid.

 **Word Count:** 952

 **Written For:** My own prompt 'FAKE, Drake/JJ, Hot chocolate on a snowy day,' at fic_promptly.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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Drake rubbed his bare hands together, shivering, his breath steaming in front of his face. "I'm freezing!"

"Why aren't you wearing gloves and a hat?" JJ asked, mystified. It was a bitterly cold day, with snow lying thick on the ground, so JJ had dressed appropriately in a heavy winter coat, cosy hat, thick gloves, and a warm scarf that covered the lower half of his face. Drake had a coat and scarf, but that was all.

"I don't have a hat, and I've lost my gloves," Drake admitted through chattering teeth. "I just want to finish up here as fast as possible and get back to the car, where at least the heater works and I can thaw out a bit. Why are we still looking for witnesses anyway? No one we've spoken to saw anything; only an idiot would be outside in this weather."

Privately, JJ agreed, but there was one more tenement they should visit first before calling it a day, since it was the residence of several people whose less than legal activities might have required them to be out and about in the area in the early hours when the murder he and Drake were investigating was committed.

"We'll make this our last stop. At least we'll be out of the wind once we're inside." JJ walked up the stoop with Drake trailing disconsolately behind him, and entered the building.

Out of the wind it was slightly less cold, the temperature in the dingy, dim-lit hallways perhaps just edging above freezing point compared to the sub-zero conditions outside. Walking up several flights of stairs also helped to get a bit of the feeling back into Drake's feet, a welcome respite from feeling like he had a block of ice attached to the bottom of each leg.

They started at the top and worked their way down, knocking on doors and questioning the residents. While they didn't find any actual witnesses, two of the girls they met were at least able to give them possible leads, which meant their morning out in the cold hadn't been a complete waste of time.

Making their way back along the street towards where they'd left their car, JJ stopped Drake, tugging on his arm and steering him towards the café they were passing. It wasn't a classy establishment, being old and somewhat rundown, but it was better than nothing. Any port in a storm.

"We're due a break after all that, I think. At least it should be warmer in here and we can get something hot to drink."

Drake wasn't about to argue; he was losing feeling in his feet again and couldn't feel his hands at all even though he had them rammed deep in his coat pockets.

The place was a fairly typical greasy spoon, the air redolent of fried food and old coffee, but overlaying all that was another scent, one that made Drake's mouth water.

"What can I get you boys?" the elderly, round-faced woman behind the counter asked with a cheery smile as they approached.

"Is that hot chocolate I smell?" Drake asked hopefully.

"It is indeed, specialty of the house. I always make it when there's snow on the ground; ain't nothing that warms a body better."

"Just what I need," Drake smiled, making his order.

JJ nodded. "Make that two, please." He pulled out his wallet to pay, turning to Drake. "My treat, to make up for you getting so cold."

Moments later, steaming mugs cradled in their hands, they settled into a vacant booth, sipping the dark, hot, rich beverage slowly. It was astonishingly good and Drake soon felt tendrils of heat spreading through his limbs, right down to his frozen toes. The ambient warmth of the little café was helping too and by the time Drake had drained the last drops from his mug he was beginning to feel less like a Popsicle and more like a person.

"You want another?" he asked as JJ set aside his own empty mug.

"We should really get back to the precinct, but… Oh, why not? It really is good."

Drake took their mugs back to the counter for a refill and then they just relaxed in the worn seats of their booth, soaking up the warmth and enjoying their very overdue mid-morning break. As far as Drake was concerned, this was the best thing to happen to him since he'd had to drag himself out of his cosy bed at what had felt like the crack of dawn.

"I'll have to remember about this place," JJ decided. "Really good hot chocolate is hard to find these days."

Drake nodded agreement and put his empty mug down with a sigh. "Well, that's it, guess we'd better brave the cold again."

"We do have work to do," JJ agreed, putting his hat and gloves back on and rearranging his scarf. "But before we go back to the precinct, we're stopping off to get you a hat and gloves. I know just the place and we practically have to go right past it. I can't have my partner freezing to death the next time we have to go anywhere."

Drake thought about arguing, but then just shrugged. When JJ made up his mind about something it was usually a lot easier to simply go along with whatever he'd decided. Besides, according to the weather report, the cold spell was going to last for the foreseeable future, with more snow to come. With most of winter still ahead of them, it was only common sense to dress for it.

"Okay, lead the way." Wherever JJ was taking him now, Drake just hoped he could afford the prices!

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The End


End file.
